Leopard LAV
Not to be confused with the Reservist Recon Leopard. "Bug it up!" :- Leopard Driver Tactical Analysis *'Now for $499.99:' A cheap armoured car, the Leopard is relatively speedy, and is armed with a heavy machine gun for fending off infantry as well as carrying 3 foot soldiers. *'Support fire:' The Leopard's machine gun is ill-suited to heavier targets like tanks, but this is compensated for with a tube launched, IR-guided missile launcher *'Just a car:' However, the Leopard's armour is rather light. Care should be taken to avoid proper anti-vehicle weapons, which will make short work of the vehicle and its occupants. *'Revved Up': For those who can afford it, there is an upgraded model armed with a gatling gun, which spits out enough lead it can even be used to target aircraft. Operational History In late 1963, the Allied Peacekeepers concluded that the Ranger Scout Car no longer met their requirements. Seeking a suitable replacement, the Peacekeepers issued a requirement calling for an all-terrain, multipurpose wheeled vehicle with high mobility. Ultimately, the Townes-Travers Multigunner IFV would be selected by the Peacekeepers for its flexibility and performance. One of the other designs entered for the Peacekeepers' consideration was the International Inc. Leopard Light Attack Vehicle. With the failure of their design, International Inc released the Leopard onto the market, hoping that they could at least recoup some of the money sunk into the development of the vehicle. Though some would-be buyers were put off by the fact that it had lost out to the Multigunner and other chose to stick with their Rangers, upgrading them to extend their service life, the Leopard LAV proved a success nevertheless, and turned out an surprisingly large profit. Compared to the high tech Multigunner, the Leopard's design is actually quite simple. International Inc built the entire vehicle around a fairly conventional chassis, though with an enclosed top and heavier armour compared to the Ranger. The Leopard chassis could be equipped with specialised armaments for specific tasks, but the stock military model is armed with a single Browning .50 cal heavy machine gun in a roof mounted turret. This might not seem like much of an improvement over the Ranger; however, the Leopard has room for up to five occupants, including the driver and the gunner, which is more than either the Ranger or the Multigunner. International Inc sacrificed some protection in exchange for allowing the windows to be rolled down. While this can expose the vehicle's interior to attack, the upside is that occupants can fire out of the Leopard. This gives it a degree of flexibility, though not nearly as much as the Multigunner. Due to its fairly conventional design, the Leopard is also less expensive in comparison to the Multigunner. These traits have allowed it to gain traction on the world stage, and has ironically even led to the Peacekeepers employing it for the Barkhausen's chassis. Similarly, the Recon Peacekeepers' switch to the Leopard was influenced by its large transport capacity. International Inc has also seen commercial success with a civilian model of the Leopard, dubbed the "Cheetah". Behind the Scenes * The Leopard is based on the real life (and Generals) Humvee. Category:Units